Ypsilanti receives nearly 200 applications for assistant to city manager position
Ypsilanti has received nearly 200 applications for its assistant to the city manager position, officials said.
The city also is seeking to permanently fill the fire chief position.
The city is seeking to fill two administrative positions by the end of March.
AnnArbor.com file photo
City Manager Ralph Lange said the city has conducted interviews for both positions. The city received about 30 applications for the fire chief position. The city began looking to fill the positions late last year.
"We're wading through resumes," Lange said. "We've done some interviews and we have a couple more rounds to go."
Lange said the city is hopeful to have decisions made by the end of March.
Similar to when the city was searching for a deputy police chief, council will not approve the hires. In lieu of a public interview process, a committee has been created to interview the applicants.
Lange declined to provide the names of the applicants because he said many of them have other jobs and would need to provide notice if they made it to the last round.
Lange said the minimum pay scale for the assistant to the city manager position will be between $45,000 and $50,000. The fire chief position minimum pay scale is between $70,000 and $75,000.
The proposed non-union pay scale for the assistant city manager position states the typical minimum pay is 75,000, with the maximum being $95,000. The maximum pay scale for the fire chief position also is $95,000.
Lange said he will continue to be responsible for labor relations and negotiations as well as primary budget issues. The assistant city manager will likely be responsible for assisting Lange in implementing priority recommendations set out in the recent SEMCOG management audit and assisting Lange with the city's day-to-day operations.
He said the assistant city manager position is necessary because there was a lot of work that has "fallen in the cracks."
With these two positions, a total of three administrative positions will have been filled within the city this year. In January Anthony DeGiusti of the Wayne Police Department was hired as the city's new deputy police chief.
DeGiusti will be paid $77,500 annually.
Including DeGiusti, the city has 82 full-time employees, six part-time and 10 interns.
In 2012, the city lost 15 employees who either retired or resigned. Altogether, those employees' wages amounted to $1,030,374. Thirteen of those 15 employees were unionized employees from the police and fire departments.
The city has since hired five employees -- three in police, Lange and DeGiusti -- who amount to a total of $296,205 in wages.
Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 1:56 a.m.
i wouldn't do it for less than a bag of fritos and mt dew per week.
beardown
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 2:11 a.m.
95k to get coffee for the city manager? Sign me up.
GoNavy
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 9:24 p.m.
I hope the hiring is transparent. These are often cushy jobs given out to pre-anointed "candidates."
ahi
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 3:50 p.m.
@beardown, He hasn't had a whole lot of time yet. Though I am beginning to have my doubts he was the best choice.
beardown
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 2:11 a.m.
there is nothing transparent about what the city manager does. you would think with all the secrecy and lack of information dissemination that he might have actually been able to get something accomplished by now.
a2citizen
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 9:58 p.m.
You are probably confusing this with hiring a social media director.
Katrease Stafford
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
City Manager Ralph Lange said there will be no public interview process for these positions.
PineyWoodsGuy
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:43 p.m.
Veteran's Preference Federal Law: If a govt agencies receives Any Federal Money (grants to the city, low income housing, etc), the veteran Must be given Preference in hiring. I believe this means that if you have 2 candidates who meet the posted hiring requirements, one a veteran, the other not a veteran; the veteran Must be hired. Not to do so can jeopardize the city receiving any more Federal funding. By the way: Veterans know how to follow orders and to be on time for work and to give 100% to the mission. Veterans know how to work as a team. It's good business to hire a vet!
beardown
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 3:39 a.m.
It's a federal initiative only.
a2citizen
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 9:55 p.m.
Veteran's preference applies to the federal government, not local governments. Do you have a link to the law you are citing?
Top Cat
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
I wonder how many of them are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are now facing the bleak job situation and are wondering what was going on over here while they were over there.
Gulo gulo
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:30 p.m.
Is the position Assistant City Manager or Assistant *TO* the City Manager? The linked job description is for Assistant to the City Manager. They are typically different positions.
Katrease Stafford
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:37 p.m.
In this case they are one in the same, according to city officials, but the job title is expected to be "assistant city manager." The job duties listed in the link are what the assistant city manager will ultimately be responsible for.
Goober
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:20 p.m.
More waste of tax payer money. Don't you know that everyone, I mean everyone needs an assistant. Go figure!
PineyWoodsGuy
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Great position for a newly-minted EMU Public Administration graduate! He/she will learn a lot about "making do" with a constantly shrinking property tax base. Mention the logically obvious Annexation by Ypsi Twp is always a no-no around Ypsi City Hall, and can get you fired.
ahi
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.
The township doesn't want any part of annexation either.
Faygo
Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 7:23 p.m.
200 applicants to work under (or be laid off by) the inevitable Emergency Financial Manager someday.